1. Field
The disclosure relates to charging stations for portable electronic devices. More specifically, the disclosure relates to techniques for detecting and managing portable electronic devices in secure compartments of charging stations for the portable electronic devices.
2. Related Art
Rechargeable batteries are commonly used to power a variety of portable electronic devices, such as laptop computers, tablet computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, and/or portable media players. The capacities and/or runtimes of such batteries may vary based on the power consumption of the portable electronic devices, usage of the portable electronic devices, the size and chemistry of the batteries, and/or the age of the batteries. For example, a single charge on a smart phone's battery may last multiple days if the smart phone is in standby mode and for less than a day if the smart phone is constantly used to browse the web, send and receive emails, play games, view documents, and/or make phone calls. Similarly, a rechargeable battery's capacity may gradually decrease over time, with the battery reaching an end-of-life when the battery's capacity drops to a percentage (e.g., 70-80%) of the battery's initial capacity.
Continued use of a portable electronic device without recharging the portable electronic device's battery may deplete the battery and interrupt the use of the portable electronic device. At the same time, the portable electronic device's location may be inconvenient and/or unsafe for recharging of the battery. For example, a user may receive a warning from his/her mobile phone after the mobile phone's battery level falls below 15%. If the user continues using the mobile phone without charging the battery, the battery may run out of charge, and the mobile phone may switch off. Once the battery is dead, the user may be unable to restore operation of the mobile phone until the user has access to a suitable phone charger and/or power outlet. Moreover, the user may risk damage to and/or theft of the mobile phone if the user attempts to charge the mobile phone in a public setting such as a restaurant, bar, airport, and/or gym.
Consequently, uninterrupted use of portable electronic devices may be facilitated by mechanisms for securely charging the portable electronic devices in public settings.